All fruit was whole bunch pressed and 100% wild fermented in 400- and 500L. French barrels. The wine spent ten months on its lees before blending and bottling. Bruised apples, thatch and chamomile are prominent on a richly exotic nose, supported by ginger and thai basil. Flavours of yellow pear, lemon drop and greengage brighten the palate while quince and dark honey combine for a textured and slightly viscous finish. Decadent, but delicately so.

ABOUT

The Landscape Series is a range of five wines that show the best of Gabriëlskloof's vineyards, together with some special old vine treasures, and aims to give an honest representation of the elements that make them unique. We wanted the labels to reflect this approach and commissioned Niël Jonker – well-known for his landscape panels painted on location – to capture the spirit of our Overberg landscapes. 

VINEYARD NOTES

Harvest '23 was characterised by low yields and early ripening, resulting in wines of excellent concentration and marked freshness, particularly in the whites. Some 30% of the old-vine Semillon is from a 32-year-old vineyard at Goederust, Franschhoek, 42% from a 60-year-old vineyard at Paardebosch, Swartland. This vintage also includes 28% of our own Semillon (planted 2006). 

WINEMAKING

All fruit was whole bunch pressed and 100% wild fermented in 400- and 500L French barrels (20% of which was new barrels, light toast). The wine spent ten months on its lees before blending and bottling. 

TASTING NOTE

Bruised apples, thatch and chamomile are prominent on a richly exotic nose, supported by ginger and Thai basil. Flavours of yellow pear, lemon drop and greengage brighten the palate while quince and dark honey combine for a textured and slightly viscous finish. Decadent, but delicately so. 

TECHNICAL

Alc 13.4 | RS 2.7 | TA 6.1 | pH 3.26

About Gabrielskloof 's Winery:

Gabriëlskloof is the realisation of a dream for South African Bernhard Heyns, who searched for several years to find the unique piece of land that, in his words, would “root him to the spot”. In 2001 he found what was then a canola farm named ‘Avontuur’ and the penny dropped. It was soon obvious that the site had the potential to make high-quality wines with a distinctive character, and so it has proved. Gabrielskloof has been owned and run by the Heyns family ever since. That family has since grown to include members of the local community, several of whom have risen through the ranks to senior positions at the farm.

 Engaging with and being a part of uplifting our local community is the driving force behind our employment approach and the farm has both been part of and initiated several local upliftment programs in the vicinity. The arrival of Peter-Allan Finlayson as cellar master in 2014 has ushered in a new and exciting era for the farm, notably with the Landscape Series and Projects Range, wines from which have routinely featured in critic’s choice awards in recent years.